By Mary Tucker | Senior Communications and Content Manager | IAEE
Artificial intelligence has quickly moved into the day-to-day operations of exhibition and business event professionals worldwide. However, AI isn’t the final destination for our industry; it’s the vehicle that’s propelling events forward to transform how we work, engage attendees and deliver measurable value.
At this point, we all understand AI is impacting our events. The true question is how quickly you will harness its power to stay ahead of the curve. IAEE’s upcoming CEIR Webinar: AI Isn’t the Destination, It’s How You and Your Events Keep Advancing features seasoned industry professionals who will pull back the curtain on their real-world AI experiences to help you advance your own.
Moderated by CEIR Vice President of Research Nancy Drapeau, IPC, this session will also unveil key findings from CEIR’s latest report on AI adoption trends, giving you a clear picture of where the industry stands and where it’s heading. Nancy will be joined by:
Steven Carlisle | Digital & Marketing – North America | CloserStill Media
With over 15 years of strategic B2B marketing expertise, Steven has made it his mission to explore and implement AI for next-level marketing performance. His data-driven approach to multi-channel campaigns has consistently proven marketing’s direct contribution to revenue goals.
Rachel Grundner | Director of Sales | North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA)
Rachel brings a unique perspective as a dedicated sales leader focused on fostering meaningful connections within the business community. Her experience in trade shows and media, combined with her current role at NATDA, gives her insight into how AI can enhance relationships with exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors.
Chris Pendley | Director of Data & Digital Services | Messe Frankfurt North America
With 15 years in the international trade show industry, Chris oversees digital and data strategy for Messe Frankfurt North America. He leads initiatives that integrate AI, analytics, and automation to enhance exhibitor and attendee experiences across diverse global markets. His forward-thinking approach to digital transformation continues to push innovation within the events industry.
Prepare to hear honest accounts of their experiences including breakthrough successes and the lessons learned from initiatives that didn’t quite hit the mark. This session promises to reveal authentic must-haves from the trenches of AI implementation.
To give you a preview of the valuable insights you’ll gain, we sat down with each presenter to explore their unique perspectives on AI’s role in transforming events.
Steven: You’ve been deeply committed to exploring AI for marketing performance. Can you share a specific example of how AI has transformed your ability to acquire and retain VIP audiences, and what measurable impact it’s had on your revenue goals?
It all starts with building on your base. I started with our typical event attendee and put that information into a large language model (LLM). I used the event information and asked it to help me define missing target groups. From that, we expanded into our database and looked at the top companies to see what overlap we had and more importantly – the gaps. We used that information to create targeted campaigns to attract these key companies.
As for measurable impact, we saw a 3% growth in the first year we implemented this into the campaign. We have refined this for the 2025 campaign and will be evaluating performance post event. It isn’t a one-and-done as you need to continue to refine the results.
Rachel: Given your focus on nurturing and expanding partnerships with members, how has AI helped you identify new opportunities or strengthen existing relationships with exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors that you might have missed using traditional methods?
AI, particularly through my paid ChatGPT membership, has become an incredibly valuable tool in my work, helping me in a variety of ways:
- Strategy Development: When creating sales and marketing strategies or designing incentives, ChatGPT takes my initial ideas and transforms them into fully built-out plans. These often include suggested timelines, content outlines, and even ready-to-use sales email campaigns.
- Lead Generation: It also supports lead generation by compiling targeted lead lists based on specific audiences I define. While it’s not a complete solution on its own, it provides a strong starting point for grassroots lead development and outreach efforts.
- Sponsorship Innovation: ChatGPT has sparked fresh sponsorship concepts that we hadn’t previously considered – ideas that resonate with and appeal directly to our audience. It also helps us to build out custom sponsorship ideas that will meet a specific member’s needs.
Chris: Leading digital strategy for both domestic and international events presents unique challenges. How has AI helped you create more personalized exhibitor and attendee experiences across different markets and cultural contexts?
One of the biggest ways AI has helped us is in reducing the learning curve between different markets. Every region has its own expectations – how people register, how they search for information, even how they engage onsite, and AI helps us adapt to that more quickly.
For example, we’re using AI to recognize where a visitor is browsing from and automatically tailor content to their location or browser language. In the past, we might have had just one English version of a page. Now, AI-driven translation allows us to serve that same content in someone’s native language in real time, without building multiple versions. That shift alone has made our digital touchpoints feel much more personal and inclusive, especially across markets that are new to our events.
Steven: As someone who develops data-driven, multi-channel campaigns, what is the most surprising way AI has changed your campaign strategy, and what advice would you give to marketers who are hesitant to integrate AI into their existing workflows?
One of the biggest impacts that I really like is competitive analysis. Taking something that took hours to do is now merely minutes. Instead of spending hours reading and analyzing competitive events, you can upload the URLs into an LLM and have it do the heavy work.
Rachel: You’re especially mindful of creating quality business connections. How do you balance the efficiency that AI brings to sales processes with maintaining the personal touch that is so crucial in relationship building?
AI is like a trusted friend you turn to for advice. The one who helps you break out of repetitive thinking when you’re stuck. But just as you wouldn’t send that friend to speak directly with your clients, you shouldn’t rely on AI to communicate on your behalf. Authenticity is essential, especially in relationship-driven sales. That’s why I use AI as a tool to organize and clarify my thoughts. Once that foundation is set, I can communicate in my own words, infusing my personality into my interactions.
Chris: Given your role and visibility into industry-wide technology trends, is there one AI application or movement you’re seeing emerge that industry professionals should be preparing for?
I don’t think there’s just one application to focus on, and that’s really the key takeaway. For example, ChatGPT might have been the #1 app a few months ago, then Gemini took that spot, and now ChatGPT is back on top again with the launch of its new iteration of Sora. That’s how fast things are moving, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
What we’re really focused on is building agility into our systems. Whatever platforms or technology partners you’re using, whether it’s your CRM, registration system or data tools, they need to have open integrations and flexible architecture so they can quickly connect to new technologies as they emerge. AI is evolving at such a rapid pace that the real difference won’t be which specific tool you’re using, but how ready your systems are to plug into whatever comes next.
